


Potter and Prejudice

by MyDarkSideWearsPink



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pride and Prejudice Fusion, BAMF Lily Evans Potter, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Pride and Prejudice References, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter Friendship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:49:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22178089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyDarkSideWearsPink/pseuds/MyDarkSideWearsPink
Summary: In which Sirius is a flirt, James very full of himself, Horace an overbearing parent and Lily is so done with everyone’s shit ; especially her own.The Pride and Prejudice – Jily AU nobody asked for.
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, James/Lily, Minerva McGonagall/Horace Slughorn, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black/Marlene McKinnon
Comments: 23
Kudos: 36





	1. Grimmauld Place

**Author's Note:**

> SO, I messed up with the timeline, the location, genealogy and plots of both HP and PP and I’m not even sorry

It is a truth universally acknowledged that it was physically impossible for Lily Evans to be in a good mood before ten o'clock.

  
It was a pity, Remus often said, because between cook Pomona’s delicious breakfasts and Alice grudgingly accepting her siblings’ requests on the pianoforte (which often led to early dancing sessions), mornings always were a rather joyous time in the Evans household.  
  
This particular morning turned out to be one Lily would have rather slept through. She was awoken, as usual, by the animated conversations from downstairs. As she turned to find Marlene’s side of the bed empty, she resigned herself to be in a sour mood all day long, for nothing vexed her so much as being drawn from her bed against her will.  
  
She’d never admit it to anyone, but she often resented being a late sleeper and never in the right state of mind to enjoy those early family times, though. This morning, as she paused down the stairs to take in the scene that laid before her eyes, she felt she had, indeed, missed something big.  
  
“Oh, Lily-Flower ! Have you heard the news?” asked Marlene, before a word of greetings was uttered from any part. That was Marlene for you. “Grimmauld Place is let at last!”  
  
Marlene, first child in age (and beauty, if the neighbourhood's gossips were to be believed) of the Evans family, was a comely, athletic girl of twenty-two, the pride and joy of Godric’s Hollow. Indeed, with her soft curls the colour of honey in the sun, natural grace, quick wit and sharp tongue, she was deemed quite a catch for any potential bachelor around. However, she remained a maid - though not for lack of trying from said bachelors. People were drawn to her like moths to a flame, and she proudly collected passionate love letters from all her admirers that she would read aloud and make fun of on a regular basis, much to her siblings’ delight. Yet Lily knew - from their nocturnal confidences, whispered in the darkness of their shared bedroom – that Marlene, beneath her sarcastic demeanour and shameless flirtations, was a romantic at heart and would settle for no less than a genuine love story. Still, if said great love could come in the form of a scandalously rich man, well... She was still a vain girl who dreamt of luxury, fancy dresses and dazzling balls. Therefore, it was no wonder that she’d be excited at the prospect of a new bachelor in town, especially one rich enough to rent a huge place like Grimmauld.  
  
“Good for them,” replied Lily, taking her seat at the breakfast table. “But what does this have to do with me?”  
  
“Two rich, noble single men settling in nearby and four daughters of mine unmarried and not getting any younger. It has everything to do with us, dear.” declared Father from his end of the large table.  
  
“Good luck with that” Remus whispered to Lily, leaning in to kiss her proffered cheek in greetings.  
  
Remus Evans. Second born and only son, and therefore apple of their parents' eyes. Lily’s favourite sibling and best friend in the whole world. With him born barely a year before she, they had always shared everything ; wet-nurse, crib, meals, fevers, friends, lessons and punishments. As Marlene was training to be a proper little lady already, Lily and Remus had spent their childhood wandering around the Evans Estate, climbing trees or playing out their favourite stories ; he was always a prince or a knight, and she a pirate.  
  
Then Remus get sick, and the time of innocence was over.  
  
He did get better, eventually, but has had a weak constitution ever since. Too pale to be completely healthy, tall and lean muscled but too thin, there were dark circles under his eyes that miraculously disappeared whenever he would laugh a real, genuine laugh. And so, Lily had sworn to always make him laugh. She had made this promise to herself with his cold hand encased in hers, mere weeks before her eleventh birthday, after they all thought they were going to lose him for good. They didn't, but as a result of this tragic episode, he had been forced to lay in bed, weak and feverish, for the greater part of his teenage years. Ironically, those were the years the pair really grew close, while confined inside the house and robbed of their childish games. They both refused to give up their adventures of wizards, princesses and dragons; instead of impersonating them, they would merely learn new stories from the books Lily read to him. She spent hours and hours by his bedside, and they talked about everything and anything; their mutual annoyance at their father, the bother of growing up, the embroidery lessons she hated, the embarrassing crushes, his disastrous first kiss, Marlene's multiple suitors, Alice’s infatuation with Pastor Longbottom’s son; and their own dreams for the future, far away from the extravagant weddings Father planned for his only son and favourite daughter. Weddings that were, it seemed, very much in Father's mind at the moment.  
  
“Are you still talking about Mr Black now? “ Alice groaned, entering the room.  
  
“Mr Black?” Lily was confused. If Grimmauld Place had just been let, how on earth would they already know of his name and marital status?  
  
“Aye aye, my captain. The young, dashing, very single and very, very rich Mr Black has come riding his white horse to save us all from utter misery and marry one of us!” Marlene proclaimed, to which Alice immediately reacted.  
  
“Well, if he was a real gentleman, he’d marry all of us. He certainly has enough money to entertain four wives, and it would be very charitable of him to rescue poor Papa from the burden of his herd of unmarried daughters.”  
  
For all their differences, the one trait all five of the Evans siblings did share was a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, to their parents’ misery. This, combined with a deeply rooted competitiveness, resulted in frequent and quite violent arguments between them. Marlene, for example, mastered the art of making fun of unsuspecting neighbours with burning sarcasms; but they were laced with such sweetness that the victims were none the wiser, and the comments were mostly made for her own enjoyment or those of whichever sibling overheard. Mary was downright rude, Lily remarkably outspoken (or, according to Mother, plainly insensitive) and Remus would offer the wittiest comebacks without missing a beat, but Alice was the softest of the lot. She was a shy, sweet wisp of a girl, usually so well-behaved that family friends thought of her as an angel descended on earth to bless the world with her gentleness, heart-shaped face and rosy cheeks. And yet, behind closed doors, her timidity was gone and her close family greatly enjoyed her witty, if not sassy analysis of their world. She was eighteen and bright, the most studious of the lot, and divided her time between practising the pianoforte, reading Shakespeare and Keats and writing young Frank Longbottom love poems she’d never send.  
  
“No need to worry, sweet sisters of mine! Mr Black is for me. No one would look at you all twice, now that I’m out in the world!” Mary boasted, her freckled face appearing from under the table. What she was doing there in the first place, Lily dared not ask.  
  
Mary had always been the most turbulent of the lot, and, as a child, the servants’ worst nightmare. Now aged seventeen, nothing had really changed, except that she’d resort to her womanly charms to get what she wanted, instead of puerile tantrums. With light brown hair, light blue eyes, pale white skin, a round face with remarkable dimples in her cheeks and a petite frame, she looked like a doll. Her easy looks had been the talk of the town ever since her debut last season, and God was she aware of that. Like Marlene, she’s had her fair share of suitors and has turned them all down with undisguised delight, ever hoping that her prince charming would eventually arrive to whisk her off her feet.  
  
“Sure, Mary.” Lily agreed, her annoyance conveyed by a mere roll of her eyes. It was too early in the morning to start a fight.  
  
In this army of fair-haired, easy going siblings, Lily often thought she didn’t fit. Short, clumsy and lacking the feminine grace that seemed to come so naturally to the three other girls, she often wished she’d been born a boy instead. The world out there did seem to open every door to any boy who’d dare ask for it, and Lily had never lacked daring after all. She didn’t care for doing what was expected of her, and often loudly repeated she would rather travel the world on her own than to lock herself in an advantageous match, for the sole purpose of annoying her parents. She still would also rather blend in the mass than being singled out but, unfortunately for her, everything in her made Lily Evans hard to pass by. She had striking dark red hair and eyes so green Remus swore he’d never seen the likes of them anywhere else; she had freckles covering her cheeks, nose and shoulders and, most of the time, a frown that betrayed her terrible mood. In spite of (or maybe because of) said bad mood, she was still her father’s favourite, and Horace Evans always made it very obvious.  
  
“There’s still this friend of him, though. What’s his name already, Papa?”  
  
“Potter, Mary dearie.”  
  
“Is he rich as well?”  
  
“Twice as rich, if Mrs Skeeter is to be believed.”  
  
Mary paused, scrunching up her nose in a comical show of reflection. “I changed my mind. I want to marry the rich one. My sisters can share Mr Black, and Remus can have one of his sisters.”  
  
Remus groaned, as their father and youngest sister bonded over their love of good old gossips and started planning everyone’s future.  
  
“Well, the youngest is married already, but there’s still Miss Bellatrix who's said to have a very large dowry, and our darling son deserves no less after all ...”  
  
“Mother, please !” pleaded said darling son, none too pleased with their matchmaking abilities. Fortunately, Mother answered his prayers.  
  
“Enough of that. Mary, stop being so vulgar, it’s unbecoming. Mr Evans, no one is marrying anyone right now, so let us finish our breakfast in peace. Also, you should know by now that Mrs Skeeter is never to be trusted. And Lily, eat with your mouth shut, for God’s sake. This isn’t how I’ve raised you.” Lily glared but complied. When Minerva asked for something, you obeyed.  
  
“How would you know all of that, anyway?” The red-haired girl asked with her mouth full of scones, but promptly swallowed before Minerva’s warning glance.  
  
“Well my Lily-love, I called on them, of course!” Horace looked very pleased with himself, and Marlene and Remus didn’t even try to hold back their embarrassed sigh.  
  
“And, do you want to hear the best part?” cooed Mary while wrapping her arms around Father’s shoulders. They both directed the same enthusiastic grin to the rest of the family, and they had never looked more alike. Nor more stupid, Lily thought.  
  
“Oh, I’m dying to.” replied Alice, not bothering to hide the sarcasm dripping from her words.  
  
Mary all but squeaked. “They’re all coming to the dance on Saturday!”  
  
Lily nearly banged her head against the table. It was too early for this shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, we all agree that Minerva/Slughorn is the worst couple ever and there's no way they'd be happy together, but hell, i wanted them to be Lily's parent, so there we are. Sorry, Minnie. 
> 
> Also Marlene, Lily, Alice and Mary are basically Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy ??? That wasn't on purpose at all but I have no regrets
> 
> My english is not perfect and I have no beta, so I apologize for any mistakes or bad grammar !


	2. The Evans Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enters James Potter.

The dance was, as always in Godric’s Hollow, a merry affair. Yet Lily was, as often, not in a good mood.  
  
This was mostly due to her father’s pep talk, right before the party, reminding them of the presence of many respectable ladies and gentlemen and, therefore, of their duty to be on their best behaviours. They were, after all, too old to remain unmarried much longer. Lily had groaned at that, and her mother had grabbed her arm.

“Lily.”

“Mother.”

“Be nice.”

Lily promised to be nice.  
  
At meeting the Meadowes inside, though, her spirits were lifted a little. Their eldest daughter, Dorcas, was a dear friend to both Remus and Lily. For a long time, Lily had held the secret hope that her brother would marry her best friend and make her a sister for good, but it had become obvious from an early point that the two shared deep friendship and respect but no romantic feelings.  
  
Halfway through the evening, the music stopped and the doors opened, revealing at long last the main reason behind the presence of many a young single lady tonight: the new residents of Grimmauld Place. There were five of them, two ladies and three gentlemen. One of those men, Lily decided at first sight, was utterly unpleasant. Mr Malfoy (Dorcas, who loved a good gossip, whispered his name in her ear) had pale blond hair and such a haughty air about him that it rendered him utterly ridicule. He looked as if his presence at such an event was a terrible affront to his person, and Lily rejoiced at that, for she enjoyed making fun of ridiculous people and he seemed like a good potential victim. The lady at his arm was his wife, Narcissa Malfoy. Though very pretty, Lily thought her pained expression made her look as if there was constantly something smelly under her nose. Of Miss BellatrixBlack, Lily couldn’t say much; there was something so disturbing about her that she dared not stare too long at her mean-looking eyes, for fear of nightmares. The gentleman at the centre of the party was a brother to the two ladies, and the potential prey of all unmarried ladies around. Sirius Black, with his long dark hair, bright smile, well-trimmed beard and general good looks was instantly deemed the most beautiful man on Earth by all in attendance tonight, though Lily suspected it has more to do with his important wealth than his general countenance. Trailing behind him, a head taller at least, was Mr James Potter. Though just as handsome as the rest of the party, he looked very out of place surrounded by his pale-faced companions. Messy dark hair, hazel eyes, brown complexion; in fact, he looked out of place in this assembly, for the only ones with a darker skin were the Meadowes whose ancestors had come from America a few generations ago.

“He’s half-Indian,” whispered Dorcas, who knew everything about everyone. “His father had fallen in love with an Indian princess and brought her to Gryffindor. His parents weren’t pleased. Classic tragic love story.”  
  
“And they were accepted at court?” Lily whispered back, her attention still focused on the stranger. “Since when are the nobles so open-minded?”  
  
“Oh, he must have faced his fair share of opposition, I’m sure,” Dorcas shrugged. She, better than anyone, knew of the bigotry of their circles. “But I heard he’s well-liked wherever he goes.” That wouldn’t surprise Lily. He was handsome, had an easy smile and moved like he owned the place. Though what he did own, according to Dorcas, was a good tenth of England.  
  
Mr Evans, for his part, looked appreciative of this fact and when he moved to introduce himself, waving at his family to join him, Lily moaned internally. This was sure to be interesting. The Evans family (minus Alice, who was nowhere to be found) and Dorcas gathered around the gentlemen named Black and Potter, for the rest of their party had fled away, apparently not deeming the other guests worthy of their time. The introductions were made, and Black was found to be a pleasant fellow, easily joking around as if they were all old acquaintances. All the while, Lily's attention remained focused on him, for he seemed to be unable to take his eyes away from Marlene’s face, but the sudden and unpleasant feeling of an elbow between her ribs took her attention away.

“For God’s sake, Mary!”

“Who’s that man over there?”

“How would I know?”

“Dorcas, who’s that man over there?” Mary was whispering, but was hardly discreet.

“Well that's Amos, Diggory’s prodigual son. Freshly returned from his boarding school in Scotland.”

“Amos Diggory?!” echoed both Mary and Lily.

“No way.”

“He’s grown handsome!”

“It’s quite the surprise. He was rather funny-looking as a kid, was he not.”

“Thanks puberty." Mary praised. "Is he promised to anyone?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Well, mark my word.” Mary had that determined look in her eyes that said an idea was forming in that twisted brain of hers; a look Lily had come to dread. “I hereby declare that I am madly in love with him and that I shall be Mrs Amos Diggory before the year is over.”

“Mary, don’t!” But she was gone. Lily was forced to turn back to the conversation at hand, quite frightened of the new ways her sister could find to embarrass them all, and realised that the whole interaction had not been lost on Mr Potter, who looked thoroughly amused. Remus had noticed, as well.

“Miss Meadowes, would you give me the next dance?” he cut in, opting to save his friend from humiliation rather than his own sister. Lily swore she’d never forgive him, for now James Potter’s mocking glance was focused entirely on her and she found it quite distasteful. She glared back.  
  
“Quite the delightful girls you have here, Mr Evans. You must be awfully proud.” Potter’s voice was pleasant, deep and warm, but dripped with sarcasm to which everyone but Lily was apparently oblivious. Her father, especially, chose to take it as a genuine compliment.

“I could not be prouder. They’re bright and well-educated. And the prettiest girls of the town, wouldn’t you say?”

The men laughed, but the remaining Evans women looked mortified.

“Yes indeed,” Black replied, and he winked -winked!- at Marlene.

“Mr Evans, I see Mrs Diggory's over there. We ought to greet her. If you’ll excuse us.”  
  
Lily internally thanked her mother for the swift rescue. Yet it was Mr Black who looked the most pleased by the recent turn of events as their parents hasted away. The look he sent Marlene was positively wolfish. The look she sent back was ten times worst.  
  
“Miss Evans, if you’d do me the honour?”  
  
“Certainly, Mr Black.”  
  
He led her to the dance floor, both looking entirely too pleased with themselves and each other. It was sickening, Lily thought. But she had been too distracted to think of a proper excuse to get away, and now she was stuck alone with Potter. She felt a bit like she’d been trapped. He was still looking mockingly at her, with a smug grin she itched to slap off his face. She has promised her mother she’d be nice, though, so she didn't act on her impulse.

“Are you enjoying the party, Mr Potter?”

“Oh, yes. I’ve never seen such a party. Everyone here is so funny.”

“Funny?”

“Picturesque, I should have said. Look, everyone’s so excited and loud, dancing and laughing like that. It’s quite like watching the monkeys at the zoo, don’t you think, Miss Lily?”

Following his gaze, Lily discovered that the show offered to them was, indeed, quite pitiful. Most people were obviously drunk and behaving themselves as such. She felt a little bit of shame and, the second after, a great bit of anger. How dared he make her feel ashamed of the people she’s grown up with!  
  
“My my, and who’s that sad little fellow over there?” The amused lilt in his voice was still present, but Potter was frowning as he looked at the other side of the room.  
  
“This is the apothecary, Severus Snape.” answered Lily, highly disapproving of the adjective Potter has just used. Sure, Severus looked quite out of place at any party, with his dark clothes and constantly serious face - but he was a childhood friend of Lily’s nonetheless.  
  
“Ah yes. Dear Snivellus.”  
  
“You know Severus?” She asked, choosing not to comment on the less-than-flattering nickname. She has promised Mother to be nice, she forced herself to remember.  
  
“We went to school together. He hasn’t changed one bit ever since.” Potter replied with obvious disdain in his voice, still not taking his eyes from the other man. “Oh wait, yes he has. He’s grown uglier.”  
  
If he had glanced at her now, he would have been met with the infamous Evans glare; but he laughed.  
  
“Are you, people of this noble town, afraid of water, or is it just our mutual friend Snivellus who doesn’t bathe?”  
  
She scoffed. “Do you intend on dancing at all, Mr Potter, or have you come here with the sole purpose of making fun of everyone?”  
  
He turned his eyes to her at last. There was an amused spark in the hazel irises that immediately get on her nerves. “Is this an invitation, Evans?”  
  
“What a clever way to avoid my question.”  
  
He grinned, wide and bright and positively infuriating. “What a charming way to avoid mine. Shall we dance, now, since you so desire it?”  
  
“You do think very highly of yourself, Mr Potter, don’t you?”  
  
“Why, I don’t have any reasons not to, don’t you agree?” He leaned towards her slowly, so that she felt his breath on her cheeks. And if she did internally agree for a confusing second, she was quick to take a step back.  
  
“I’ve never seen anyone so arrogant as you, Sir.” So much for being nice.  
  
He laughed. Prick. “See, your neighbours agree with me!” It was true. She realised just how many people were staring at the both of them; half the mothers and unmarried daughters of the party looked at him as if he was God himself; the others looked murderously at Lily. “So?”  
  
“So what?” She asked, and turned back to find out he was shaking with barely contained laughter.  
  
“This dance?”  
  
Lily had enough grace to smile and curtsey, but not enough to hide the venom in her tone. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I promised the next dance to my brother.” She turned on her heels before he could reply, running to the other end of the room where Remus and Dorcas were chatting.  
  
“Remus, I need you to dance with me. It’s a matter of life and death.”

* * *

  
  
An hour later, Lily and Dorcas had retreated to a couch by one window, where they could observe and hear the party without being seen, hidden by heavy velvet curtains. Lily had danced with her brother twice before deciding she had done enough efforts and grabbed a bottle of wine and Miss Meadowes’ hand, taking them both to their favourite hiding spot. Dorcas, who was a good friend and enjoyed gossips as much as anyone, had willingly followed.  
  
“And he looked so pleased with himself! What an arrogant toerag!”  
  
“Lily, it’s the tenth time you bring back the topic of James Potter. Are we not done yet?” Dorcas complained, taking another sip of wine. Her cheeks were flushed with her slightly inebriated state; whereas her companion’s were red also, but with fury.

“But you should have seen him, Dorcas! What a pompous prat!”  
  
“I swear, never have I ever seen such a beauty as Miss Evans!” The conversation between the two girls was cut short by this exclamation. Drawing the curtain open just slightly, Lily discovered it came from a very pleased-looking Mr Black. She exchanged an excited glance with an equally excited Dorcas.  
  
“She is beautiful, indeed. But she smiles too much.” That was Mr Potter. Lily pretended to choke, and Dorcas chuckled in silence.  
  
“Too much! How could one smile too much?”  
  
“By smiling to the wrong people. Most people she smiled to didn’t look like they deserved it.”  
  
“Her sisters look lovely as well. I’m surprised you haven’t asked the second one to dance yet, though. I thought you had a thing for red hair.” Potter chuckled, and Lily rolled her eyes.  
  
“I’m quite wary of this one. She has not been asked to dance once so far. For such a pretty girl to be avoided like the plague by all men in attendance, she must have some terrible fault. Bad breath. Mean character.”  
  
Lily didn’t realise she had risen until Dorcas had grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her down, bringing her attention back to the scene unfolding.  
  
Mr Black chuckled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”  
  
There was the smug grin, back on Mr Potter’s lips. “I’ve never backed down from a challenge, have I? Even if this one seems particularly aggressive and lacking humour, from what I’ve gathered from our brief interlude. But we’ll talk of it once we’re back at Grimmauld; go back to your pretty partner. I can well see I have been robbed of my first place in your heart.” They departed at that, both laughing.  
  
Lily turned back to Dorcas, positively fuming. “How dares he?!”  
  
Her so-called friend merely shrugged, not half as shocked as Lily was. The traitor. “Was he wrong, though?” She whispered. “The men you’ve refused to dance with are still bitter, and the rest is probably too scared you’d bite to ask.”  
  
“I don’t … bite!”  
  
“Only because your mother forbids you to. You should have danced with Mr Potter, and proved him wrong by showing him what a delight you truly are.”  
  
“Hear me out, Dorcas. I would never, ever dance with Mr Potter, even if your life depended on it!”  
  
The more furious Lily grew, the more amused Dorcas was. “A delight, truly.” She chuckled, but Lily, mad at her friend, all but stormed away from their hiding place… only to crash in full force into the chest of one Mr Potter.  
  
“Well, Miss Lily, never has a lady tried so hard to end up in my arms.” He had grabbed her by the forearms to stabilize her, and she immediately recoiled with horror. “So, care to dance?”  
  
“No, Sir. I wouldn’t want to bother you with my bad breath and mean character.”  
  
She fled after that, leaving behind a laughing Dorcas and a stunned Mr Potter.  
  


* * *

  
  
“He danced with Marlene all night long, can you believe it?”  
  
The sun was rising on the horizon, but the five Evans’ siblings were still wide-awake, debriefing the night’s events in their nightdresses, squeezed on Lily and Marlene’s bed.  
  
“He barely glanced at any other girl at all!”  
  
“How terribly improper.” Alice snorted.  
  
“Oh, enough with Mr Black already,” ordered the eldest girl with a flip of her fair hair. “The Evans Council has more urgent business to discuss. Such as: where did Alice Evans disappear tonight?” Alice rolled her eyes, while the rest of them feigned shock and outrage.  
  
“True that! We haven’t seen her at all.”  
  
“How scandalous!”  
  
“I have seen her!” replied Mary with a smug grin, deftly avoiding the pillow Alice threw in her way. “And the truth will shock you. I have seen Alice Evans... Drum rolls, if you please!”  
  
In a well-rehearsed ensemble, Remus, Marlene and Lily started clapping their thighs, leaving Alice mortified.  
  
“… With Frank Longbottom! Yes, ladies and a gentleman, Alice Evans spent the whole evening hidden away in the sole company of her long-time crush!”  
  
“Disgusting.”  
  
“Properly revolting,” Remus nodded wisely.  
  
“Stop that!” cried Alice, reaching out to hit each of her siblings with her own pillow. “You make it sound so bad, but Papa knew where we were all along.”  
  
“Sorry, sorry darling,” Marlene softened, gently patting the younger girl’s head. “Has he proposed already?”  
  
“Marlene!”  
  
“Well, I have to ask. You two have been very much in love for years. There’s only one thing left to do.”  
  
“We’re not engaged, but …” Alice paused, blushing slightly; which gave ample time for Mary to wolf-whistle. “Mary! We are promised to each other, yes. His parents agree, and Mama and Papa as well.”

"Awww," her siblings cooed as one.

“What’s getting in the way, then?”  
  
“Augusta Longbottom,” affirmed Mary, nodding. “She’s terrifying. I’d rather marry a cockroach than have her as a mother-in-law.”  
  
“Oh hush, Mary. It’s just... He has applied for a cure years ago, but still can’t find employment. People claim he is too young for the task… And we cannot marry while he is still his parents’ responsibility. They’re not rich, I couldn’t possibly be a burden to them.”  
  
“Oh, Alice.” Remus reached out to take her hand.  
  
“It will work out in the end, I’m sure,” offered Lily with a soft smile, and the room was quiet for a while.  
  
“And if not, you and Frank could live with Marlene and Black. They’ll be rich enough to support us all.”  
  
“Mary!”  
  
“What? You two are smitten.”  
  
“I’m not smitten!”  
  
“Let’s make a pact then.” Remus rose from the cushions he had laid on. “From now on, the main goal of the Evans Council will be to do everything in its holy power to unite our two most honourable members with their soulmates.”  
  
“And me,” Mary chirped, “I’m going to marry Amos Diggory.”  
  
Remus rolled his eyes, amused. “One thing at a time, Mimi. First, we must make Mr.s Black and Longbottom propose...”  
  
“I’m not in love with Mr Black!”  
  
“… And plot our revenge against the dreadful Mr Potter, who has been terribly rude to our precious Lily-flower.”  
  
“Thank you, Remus.”  
  
“Even though he has a nice jaw.” Mary reflected outloud, opposed to the bashing of such a honourable representative of the male sex.  
  
“His one redeeming quality.” Remus generously conceded.   
  
“Not redeeming enough!” claimed Lily, outraged.  
  
“Mr Black has a nice jaw.”  
  
“Marlene?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“You’re in love!” Four voices shouted, and Marlene buried her head in the mattress, half groaning, half laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DESPISE Lucius. Can you tell ?


	3. Courtships

The next few weeks were mostly spent in outward and return journeys between Grimmauld Place and the Evans House.

Mr Black seemed quite besotted with Marlene, Marlene was glowing with this knowledge, and Mr Evans was getting his hopes higher than the Tower of London.

At first, Lily was very disapproving of the whole ordeal, for Mr Black was obviously a flirt, quite pleasingly throwing charming smiles in the direction of any pretty girl he met. Or any girl at all, really. But several afternoon tea parties at Grimmauld Place (where only Marlene was invited, but she somehow always managed to drag Lily to when Remus refused) had allowed the man to grow in the red-haired girl’s esteem. Yes, he seemed a flirt at first, but his only defaults were really to be extremely charming and friendly to everyone he met, men or women, and to be aware of the peculiar effect his devastatingly good looks could have on any girl. But he was very open, and never tried to hide his feelings, be it by blurting out every bizarre thought passing by his head, or by shamelessly staring at Marlene at every opportunity.

As for the young woman, she was thrilled to be at the receiving end of such devotion, and reacted, as always, in a very coquettish way; happily flirting back, and very much bragging about the burgeoning relationship. Yet, in the intimacy of their bedroom, Marlene would not brag so much to Lily but confess coyly that she was, indeed, very much on the way of falling in love, and quite scared about that. Marlene. Beautiful, popular Marlene, who had enjoyed the adoration of dozens of admirers throughout the years, but never felt enough respect and admiration to accept any of them as her equal and partner in life. Marlene had found her match at last.

Lily, always the kill-joy of the family, advised her sister to be careful with the show of her affection; but Marlene was anything but careful. She was mostly left to visit the Black residence on her own and without any parental guidance, except for Lily’s reluctant presence. Their mother had more important things to do than visit those young idiots (her own words). Their father seemed to believe the absence of chaperon was the surest path to young love and, therefore, to advantageous marriages. Lily thought it was the surest path to heartbreaks, unwanted pregnancies, disgrace, ruins and painful deaths, so she continued to accompany her sister in her visits. It was more for the family’s reputation than for the sake of real success ; indeed, there was little if none at all that Lily could do to prevent her careless sister from disappearing, sometimes for hours on end, with her brand-new beau as soon as they passed the main door.

Every time she did and abandoned her to the rest of the household, Lily felt prone to violence.

If she could very well see herself a real friend of Black in the near future, and would not even mind becoming his sister, she had decided to hate his companions with burning passion for the rest of her days. They were the most disagreeable bunch of people she ever had the displeasure to meet, and each in their own way. The Malfoy couple thought themselves way above the rest of the human race, and never bothered to address their guests. Most of the time, they weren’t even in the same room when the Evans visited.

Miss Bellatrix Black obviously greatly enjoyed talking with their neighbours, but only when she could make fun of them. And God was she good at that. Each of her words was laced with unconcealed disdain and her smile, falsely sweet, made Lily’s stomach churn. She never bothered to hide the contempt the Evans and their lack of rank inspired her. Marlene, never one to care much for the opinion of others, was able to laugh it off, especially since her suitor was so very disapproving of his sister’s way; but Lily, deadly offended, only held her tongue and suffered the insults for her sister’s sake. Still, Miss Black wasn’t around either for most of their visits; and therefore, Lily found herself forced into spending most of her time with James Potter.

The bane of her existence.

For each hour Black spent walking the grounds or hiding in some secret alcove with Marlene, Potter was determined to make it up to the abandoned young lady by staying by her side. A noble sentiment, had his company not been so insufferable. Such a rich and single gentleman must be dreadfully bored with his life, for he seemed to never have anything better to do than finding new ways to get on Lily’s nerves, despite her constant rebuttals. He was a flirt, but to annoy rather than to charm. He was the kind of man who thought every thing funny and never failed to say so, and Lily was, more often than not, the receptacle of his amusement.

Lily’s promise to be nice was long forgotten, and she had made it a point to show him just how much she loathed everything he said or did.

Potter, who probably never had anyone disapprove of him, seemed to find it particularly refreshing and diverting. In fact, the more annoyed she grew, the more pleased he was. Soon, not a word falling off his mouth was not a jest made at Lily’s expense. He would coax her into a boardgame, beat her mercilessly and remind everyone of her defeat days after; and Lily was a very sore loser. He'd mock her attire, from the gowns dirtied after a walk to the cut of a neckline he had the audacity to imply was low for his benefit, or the way her cheeks would match her hair when he made a particularly crude joke at her expense. He said them with such a dazzling smile, though, and such good-humour that none but the victim herself saw the harm in his “playful, friendly teasing" (Marlene’s words, not Lily’s).

Lily couldn’t fathom why someone so easy going as Black would willingly spend time with all those disagreeable people; but Marlene had some answers.

“It’s such a dreadful story,” she said calmly, sitting at the vanity table while Lily braided her silky pale hair for the night. “The Black family; they were… bad people, apparently. I don’t know how bad, but bad enough that Siri- Mr Black chose to cut ties with them when he was barely sixteen, and they disowned him and made his younger brother, Regulus, the heir. Now, there were five of them, the children, just like us. It was Mr Black’s sister Andromeda, and then Bellatrix, Mr Black himself, and Regulus and Mrs Malfoy.”

“You seem to speak a awful lot with Mr Black,” Lily locked eyes with her sister through the mirror, raising a red eyebrow as she glared. “I’m glad you are both able to put your mouths to such good use when you are alone together.”

“Oh shut up,” Marlene rolled her eyes, but had the grace to blush. “Let me finish the story. So, the eldest sister, Andromeda, was Mr Black’s favourite sibling, he says – she had been disowned years before, because she had eloped with a very poor farmer and refused the horrible man the parents had chosen for her. How romantic, isn’t it?“

Lily snickered. The elopement was quite the grandiloquent gesture maybe, but she could already guess how this story ended – and there was nothing romantic about that.

“Anyway, the siblings were forbidden from contacting her at all, but when Mr Black left he tried to learn about her whereabouts, in the hope that she’d take him in and because he has missed her so. But it was too late, she had taken ill and died, alongside with her husband. Turned out she had written to her parents and asked for some money for the medication, but they had refused, and didn’t bother to write back or tell anyone even though they knew their daughter was dying, and Sirius only found out a year too late. Can you imagine?”

Lily shuddered, and the distant memory of Remus’ illness came surging through. No, she decided, there was nothing worst than loosing a beloved sibling, and that was the moment she really decided that Black deserved her eternal friendship.

“So it turns out that Andromeda’s husband, Tonks, was a farmer in Gryffindor and they had left a little girl behind. Mrs Potter – that is, James Potter’s mother-, who was a distant cousin of the Blacks but disapproved of their way, had been a friend to Andromeda and had taken the little girl in after her death, according to the parents’ will. Mr Black had been friends with Mr Potter ever since they went to school in Scotland together, and so, when he left, Mrs Potter took Sirius in as well.”

“Are you sure, Marley?” Lily felt the need to argue. For some reason, this story, painting the Potters in a better light than what she gave them credit for, made her uncomfortable. “It doesn’t look like the Potter I know, to embarrass himself in the company of someone banned from all acceptable social circles.”

Marlene laughed. “The Potter you know, Lily, really? Because you know so much about that man after all your deep and meaningful conversations? Are you putting your mouths to good use, as well?”

Lily was deeply vexed by the turn the conversation has taken, and pulled at the blond lock of her she had been brushing in retalation.

“Anyway, Mr Black’s parents died a few years ago, and left everything to his younger brother, Regulus – but Regulus died last year. In the absence of any other male heir, the estate somehow went back to Sirius, even though he had been disowned long ago. Imagine his surprise. That has taken a toll on him, I think. He’d spend the last ten years or so with nothing to his name, and suddenly he inherits the house he hates, a ton of money, two long lost sisters who loath him for it, while having to mourn the only two siblings he had loved. It happened just a few months ago. Here, in Grimmauld Place, it’s the first time in years he’s living with his sisters. He has hoped to rekindle their relationships. I think he was desperate for a family, you know; for what we have.” She took Lily’s hand in hers and squeezed. “But they’re terrible, especially Bellatrix, and that Malfoy man, ew!" Lily firmly nodded. "Sirius hates living with them. He’d rather be with his niece, but his sisters refused to even meet her, so they left her at Potter’s home, Gryffindor. He’s miserable in Grimmauld, I’m afraid.”

“Why is he still here, then?” asked Lily, slipping into bed. “He doesn’t strike me like the kind of man who’d do anything he doesn’t want to.“

Marlene joined her sister under the soft sheets and blew on the last candle. A comfortable silence settled between the two, and Lily quickly surrendered to sleep, barely registering the quiet answer Marlene gave : “For me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a rather short chapter, and long overdue, I'm sorry! Nothing really happens here, but I'm planting the seeds for what's coming, so bear with me, I swear the Jily interactions we're all here for are coming! Let me know what you think - I'm especially interested in your opinions on James so far. Next chapter is coming soon , thanks for reading!


	4. The dance

“I hate James Potter,” Lily proclaimed, not for the first time this afternoon.

She was perched atop the counter of the small apothecary shop of Godric’s Hollow, extracting the pollen out of a dandelion to be used in a rheumatism remedy as she verbally poured her hatred towards Potter into the benevolent ears of the owner of the shop.

“Yesterday, he said I was well-dressed; but no in a good way, you know? In an insulting way, rather. As if it was a crime to look pretty! And then he said something like “you didn’t have to go to such lengths to please me, Evans, I’d like you as much with any or no clothes on”. The nerves! And he always calls me Evans, like I’m his mate! I’m not his mate! How did you say you’ve met him, again?”

But Severus hadn’t said anyting. He had tried, only to be interrupted several times by Lily recalling yet another reason why se hated James Potter. He opened his mouth from behind the counter and was cut short again.

“God I hate him! Did I tell you that he-“

“Lily.”

“Sorry” she grinned apologetically, but a quick glance over a shoulder assured her he was not really upset, for he smiled back, and Severus rarely smiled. Especially not today, when he had been looking gloomier than ever. “You went to the same school, right?”

“Why? What did he tell you about me?”He asked, looking up from the phials he was organizing with something akin to emergency in his voice.

“Nothing,” she grimaced, recalling the unflattering nickname Potter had used, pretending to focus her attention on a big flower bouquet in a corner of the room. “What a pretty arrangement. Did you do it?”

He snorted, not fooled by her poor attempt at changing the topic. As if anyone who knew him could mistake Severus Snape for the kind of man to arrange flowers in his free time. “You did. Last week.”

“Oh, right,” she shrugged. It was a weekly tradition, indeed; she’d walk to town and jump on his counter, and help him with whatever medicine he was working on that day. She’d chat and banter, and he would listen. Besides Dorcas and her siblings, Severus was her oldest –and only- friend. Sure, he wasn’t the funniest company and the oldest they grew, the less they had in common. But he was, in Lily’s mind, forever linked to the happy memories of a carefree childhood of gallivanting in meadows and woods, before Remus felt sick and she was deemed too old to spend her days running around with boys. Still, Severus never expected her to be prim and proper, graceful or wise. He never expected her to be anything but plain old Lily, and that was refreshing.

“Yes, I was at school with Black and Potter. Arrogant bastards. Behaved like they owned the school.”

“Oh, they were the couple of bullies you told me about in your letters?” She hadn’t paid attention at the time, caring more for the parts where he spoke of everything new he learnt at school than for the tales of childish rivalries. Now that she had faces to match the names of the boys who had plagued her friend’s teenage years, she recalled several stories of mean-spirited pranks on unsuspecting classmates and other misbehaviours. Severus started ranting about how personally he had been insulted by the Potter-Black couple. Lily stopped listening at some point, recalling the crooked smile that never failed to get on her nerves. When Severus called her name, effectively drawing her from her daydreaming, she noticed her fingers were coated in the flower’s pollen with how tight her fist has been clenched around it.

“Lily?”

“What?”

“Is it true?”

“What is true?”

“The rumours.”

“What rumours?!”

She felt more than she heard the sigh he let out. “About you and Potter.”

“What about me and Potter?!” She was invested in the conversation now, but he kept his back resolutely turned to her.

“Malfoy says you are throwing yourself at him.” There were so many things wrong in that short sentence that Lily didn’t know where to start, but she was almost choking on her own embarrassment. “Why would you listen to Malfoy? He’s a prick! When did you even talk with Malfoy?”

Severus merely shrugged. “He’s the most clever of the lot. Is he wrong, though?”

“Of course he is! We just spent the last hour agreeing that Potter was a moron, why would I… throw myself at him when I hate him?”

Severus turned to her at last, but there was something cold and harsh in his face she had never seen before. For all her love of confrontation, she had never argued with him before, and she didn’t like that. “Many women would marry someone they hate for a castle and a title.”

“is that what you think of me?”

“Why would you spend all your days there, then?”

“It’s... God, Severus!” She was shaking. She hadn’t noticed before. Lily took a breathe, and lowered her tone. “I’m just accompanying Marlene! She… she’s interested in Mr Black. We’re hoping for a proposal. That’s all.”

“Oh.” His features seemed to relax a bit,but there was something like disdain in the dark hues staring at her. “Your sister is marrying Black?!”

“Don’t speak of it,” she urged, glad they were alone in the little shop. “There’s nothing decided, but he likes her.”

Lily felt herself flinch under her friend’s unusual glare. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, but he was interrupted by the bell-door ringing, and her father imposing figure filling the space in the shop.

“Ah, Lily, my love, here you are! And hello to you Severus, I trust your mother is well? Lily, come at once, your sisters require your immediate assistance at Madam Malkins! There is to be a ball at Grimmauld in two weeks, and Marlene cannot decide between a pink dress and a blue.”

“And that’s the emergency?” Lily sighed as she grabbed her cloak. “Can I have a new dress too?”

“Nonsense,” Horace replied, leading her to the door. “You have plenty of dresses already, just change the ribbons. Come, come!”

“Wait!” She turned, biting her lower lip as she faced Severus. “Will you come to the ball?”

“Not a chance.”

As she was dragged away by her chatting father, Lily felt something heavy settle on her stomach, remembering how quickly the friendly eyes had turned to ice.

* * *

The ball was nothing like anything Lily had ever seen. The noblest families of the area paraded the halls of Grimmauld with an ease that belonged solely to rich people, mixing easily with the inhabitants of Godric’s Hollow who were dressed as finely as ever and seemed to greatly enjoy themselves. The house was dazzling, the dishes delicious, the gentlemen smart and the ladies splendid. Even the music was of excellent taste, more refined than what could usually be heard at the town parties. From the couch by the window where she sat, with Dorcas’s head on her laps and a flute of champagne in her hand, Lily could hear both the violin quartet from the ballroom and her sister’s sweet voice from the music room upstairs where Alice was entertaining a few guests by the piano.

Everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. Lily sighed with ease, absentmindly listening to Dorcas chatting. She was slightly flushed from the dance, the drink and the merriment, and find the cold from the outside a welcome refreshment as she pressed a cheek against the glass she was leaning on. Mary had dragged the young Diggory to the ballroom; Remus and Mother had, some time sooner in the evening, conspired to sneak into the library where they were probably fawning over the latest edition of the encyclopaedia. Father was wining some card games, Frank Longbottom had not left Alice’s side, and Lily was slowly but surely getting drunk in a private corner with her best friend, and had managed to avoid all their unsufferable hosts; what a great night. As far as Marlene was concerned,it was clear to everyone that she was the real queen of the party. With a brand new white gown (nor the pink neither the blue one had found grace in her eyes) and her soft hair gathered atop a shoulder, she looked like some sort of pagan deity. She glowed with triumph, her arm interlinked with Black’s, who had refused to let her out of his sight. The attachment between the two was clearly obvious, for they had danced with no one but each other. Even the most determined mothers had stopped chasing the bachelor, and opted for throwing their single daughters at Potter instead.

“Have you seen Mrs Skeeter’s dress? It’s the most disgusting shade of green ever made!” Dorcas proclaimed with a wave, nearly spilling her glass of wine in the process. “Anyway, how are things between Marley and Black?”

“He certainly does like her,” Lily replied. She has tried to sound disapproving, but her joy for her sister’s sake was betrayed by a small smile.

“But does she like him?”

“Obviously she does!”

Dorcas shrugged. “It isn’t obvious to me. She’s flirting and smiling a lot, but I see no difference from her interactions to her previous beaux. I’ve known your sister all my life and I can’t tell. And if I can’t, how would Black know?”

“I’m sure he does. I have it on good authority that there had been some … shows of affections behind closed doors.”

“Well, I too kiss a few boys when Papa isn’t looking, it doesn’t mean it would follow them to the end of the world.”

Lily rolled her eyes, recalling a few tales of Dorcas’ conquests. “This is life, Dory, not a romance novel.”

“All I’m saying is, if you lot are indeed hoping for a proposal, your sister should tell him of her genuine and deep interest. A man as rich as he is has hundreds of women at his feet; he won’t choose someone only interested in his money and not him.”

“Come, Dorcas.” Lily grew tired with the topic. She stood, forcing her friend to sit. “Let’s dance.”

“No. I’m very comfortable here, thank you very much.” The brunette, slightly inebriated, laid down, settling in the warmth Lily has left.

“Dorcas, please! I want to dance!”

“Ask someone else! I’m sure Potter would be happy to oblige. Wouldn’t you, Mr Potter?”

Lily tensed, feeling the despised presence behind her before his reply confirmed it.

“You must be a witch, Miss Meadowes, for asking Miss Lily to dance was exactly my purpose in coming here.“

Lily had no choice but to turn now, bowing her head in greetings, and reluctantly noting he looked rather dashing in his dark blue coat. A fact he was well aware of, if the smug grin and wink he threw at the two girls were to be believed. Lily heard Dorcas giggle from the couch and felt very much betrayed.

“Take her, Potter, she’s all yours.”

“But will you forgive me for stealing your companion for a moment, my dearest Miss Meadowes?”

“Forgive you? I’ll thank you.”

Lily stomped her foot –a childish reflex she will later blame on the alcohol- and interrupted the aside. “I’m right here! Do I have a say on the matter?”

“You want someone to dance with, he wants to dance with you. The matter seems rather settled to me.” Dorcas declared, matter-of-factly, but Potter had already seized Lily’s hand and bowed in mock-apology.

“You are very right, and I am very sorry.” His lips grazed her knuckles, and she couldn’t tell if the sudden blush on her cheeks was due to the warmth of his breath on her skin or the way his hazel eyes looked up at her with a glint of mischief. “May I have the next dance, Miss Lily?”

A second passed, and Lily felt her heart miss a beat. She had no real excuse to refuse, after all. “You may.”

Only that could convince him to let go of her hand and he left with a bow and the smuggest, most displeasing smile on his lips.

Lily turned to her friend at his departure, dumbstruck.

“Did I just agree to dance with Mr Potter?”

“You sure did.”

“But I swore never to dance with him!” Dorcas merely took a sip of her drink, looking very much pleased with herself. “Shut up. I’ll never forgive you.” A new tune was heard starting from the ballroom. Lily took a breath, straightened, and walked to her death.

* * *

“Are you always silent when you dance, Miss Lily, or it is our proximity that troubles you so?” Lily nearly rolled her eyes, but the feeling of her mother’s attentive gaze on her prevented her to do so. If she did step on Potter’s toes, though, he couldn’t prove it wasn’t accidental.

“If you wish to speak, Sir, please do. I shall do my best to listen and pretend to be interested. “ He laughed, loud and warm, because of course every single of her attempts to destabilise him ended amusing him instead.

“I’d rather you were actually interested. Just tell me what you want me to say an I'll say it, for I’m your humble servant and live to please you.”

“Oh, is that how you make quick friends? By saying whatever people want to hear? That seems rather hypocritical to me.”

The hand that wasn’t holding hers rose to his heart as he faked a gasp and a hurt expression. “Harsh words for such a pretty mouth.”

“Now, we’ve talked enough. We’re allowed to stop.”

“Oh, but I’m not inclined to stop now, Evans. You wanted me to talk, I’ll talk.”

“I have changed my mind. Am I not allowed to?”

“Admirable. You don’t change your mind often, do you? “

“What does that mean?”

A sudden turn on the dance allowed him to slip closer and speak lower. “It means that you are stubborn, Evans. I could tell after the first minute of our acquaintance. You make up your mind about something and refuse to change it.”

“Such as?” She smiled as they trade partners for a second, refusing to let anyone see how annoyed she was.

“Such as me.” He quirked an eyebrow as she reached his side again, his hold strong and warm on her wrist. “Am I wrong to say you’ve been quick to make your negative judgment about me?”

“You’ve been quick to make a bad impression.” She snickered, gloved fingers clenching his in a less than friendly manner.

“But you would not change your mind, even if I were to show you better parts of my character.”

“I like to think I am fair in my judgment, and no parts I have seen so far has left a favourable impression.”

His fingers wrapped themselves around her waist and he drew her close, perfectly in sync with the music; but the smile he wore was not as relaxed as before. “Surely you don’t know me that well, you cannot be certain I am as bad as you think.”

“I know well enough.” The dance brought them face to face, and she all but spitted at him: “I’ve been told a great deal about you.”

He laughed again, but there was nothing left of his pleasant mask; it was harsh and cold, as dark as the look he sent her. “I’m sure you have.”

“Indeed. I’ve been told many accomplishments of your youth, which did nothing to improve my opinion.”

“I won’t ask you who told such tales, I know very well the answer.”

“You do not deny it, then.”

“How could I deny not knowing what I am accused of? What good would it be, when you seem so determined to despise me that you would easily believe any idle gossip?”

“If everything unpleasant said about you is indeed so easily believed, I think it says quite a lot about your character.” They had stopped dancing now, though she couldn’t say when exactly, and were standing face to face amidst the many couples still twirling. “I’m surprised you are not trying to defend yourself, when you seem so sure to be in the right.”

“Why do you care?”

“I’m trying to understand you, Mr Potter. I heard and saw so many negative things on your account, it is impossible to reconcile that with the positive opinions of your friends.”

“Well ask, then. I’m an open book.” Her neck was hurting by looking up at him and their faces were close, so close she felt warmth on her forehead with every angry breath he took.

“And will you answer truthfully, with a honest judgment on your own faults?”

“One thing I value above all else, Evans, is honesty. Can you say the same about your friend?”

She let out a gasp at the implication behind his words. “I have faith in Severus, and nothing you could say would convince me otherwise.”

She saw him harden, a far cry from the smug man shamelessly flirting not two minutes ago. He stared at her and whispered between gritted teeth: “You don’t know half the truth about your dear friend Snivellus.”

They were close, so much that Lily could make out a constellation of faint freckles on his cheeks and a ring of gold in his brown eyes. She felt a dark curl brush her forehead and their noses almost touch. Her mouth opened and closed, all words of protest dying on her tongue as she took in their sudden proximity. He seemed to realise it at the same moment as she, for his eyes widened a little; for a brief, stupid, crazy second, she almost thought he was going to kiss her.

He took a step back and away from her, abruptly, and she noticed the music had stopped and the couples were leaving the dance floor.

Lily closed her eyes for a second, her chest rising and falling violently with every ragged breath she sucked in. Suddenly, her corset seemed too tight, the room too warm and loud, the dozens of dancers too close to her; everything was too much, overwhelming, suffocating, she lost her balance and felt herself fell backwards and –

Two hands, strong and warm and now almost familiar after the last dance, closed around her elbows and stopped her from falling. She opened her eyes to see two pools of hazel behind round spectacles looking at her, any trace of anger now completely vanished.

“Evans, are you all right?”

Before she had to make up an excuse, they were interrupted by Mrs Skeeter –who was, indeed, wearing a truly terrible green dress. Potter promptly let her go and Lily shivered, though from the sudden lack of warmth or the arrival of the hideously dressed woman, she couldn’t tell.

“Lily, dear, I mus be the first to offer my congratulations!”

Lily frowned, only half-focused on Skeeter. She was the worst gossip of the town, well-known to make up and spread her own stories if nothing scandalous enough reached her ears. “What? Congratulations on what?”

“Your sister’s engagement to Mr Black, of course!”

Lily froze, and she could feel the man by her side freeze as well. “That’s a mistake, Mrs Skeeter. There’s no engagement.”

“Yet … But that’s all everyone talks about already! They’d make quite a fine couple indeed. And your dear Father will be so pleased! Such a rich young man … Is it not everything your family has ever wanted?” And just like that, with a sickeningly sweet smile and before Lily could gather her thoughts, she had left, as if her sole purpose had been to create discord. With a deep sense of unease, Lily turned to Potter.

If she thought he was angry before, this was nothing compared to the look he displayed now. But rather than the previous agitation directed at his dance partner, his anger seemed of a more quiet, resigned sort, and he was staring absently at some point above her head, eyebrows furrowed to the extreme and jaw so clenched she could see the tensed muscles working there.

“Mr Potter?”

He barely acknowledged her, their fight now completely forgotten. “Miss Evans, good night.”

He bowed his head and ran away before she could detain him. She wasn’t sure what exactly had just happened, but Lily suddenly felt very cold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are what keeps me going, so let me know what you think of the story and the characters so far !  
> Thanks for reading.


	5. Heartbreaks and match-making

If the Grimmauld ball had been the peak of the social season in Godric’s Hollow, the rest of the month was duller for the whole town, but especially in the Evans household.

With October came rainy days and the departure of many neighbours returning to the capital to wait for Winter. Lily, deprived of her daily walks and confined inside because of the weather, was starting to feel restless. Truth be told, she had been on edge ever since that fateful night where all town has gathered in Grimmauld; or, if one wants for precision, ever since _that_ dance. In the cold of the night, curled against Marlene’s sleeping form, she replayed the scene in her mind again and again, trying to fathom why exactly every recollection still sent shivers down her spine. Nothing that happened had been out of the ordinary, after all. Potter had been highly unpleasant, she had been insolent, and Skeeter had interrupted it and topped that with one of her infamous awkward gossips. Yet, she could perfectly recall the intensity with which Potter has looked at her, and the sudden shift in his eyes after Skeeter’s interruption. There had been a flicker of something unpleasant passing on Potter’s usually lively features as they darkened, as if he suddenly had made a decision he feared would lead to dreadful consequences. Lily still had a terrible feeling about all that, and this feeling will soon be confirmed.

For two weeks, there were no news at all from Grimmauld, and the tension that resulted of this neglect was palpable in the Evans house, between Father’s obvious fretting and Marlene’s growing concern, quieter but running much deeper. Then, some rainy morning that saw all Evans siblings in a sour mood from the forced confinement, a letter finally arrived, in Black’s elegant and now familiar cursive, addressed directly to the young woman. She didn’t share the exact content of the missive but it was clear, from the speed with witch all her youthful colours deserted her cheeks, that whatever news the message brought were not good. In her anxious state of concern for her sister’s sake, Lily noted absentmindedly that her usually loud and careless family had the grace not to speak for the whole time Marlene took to finish her reading, even though they were staring and holding their breath, hanging on her lips at the first word uttered.

“He is gone.” This, delivered blankly by a closed-faced Marlene, seemed enough to break the spell that had taken the breakfast room a minute before and everyone suddenly spoke at the same time.

“Gone?” exclaimed Mary, louder than everyone else. “Why would he leave?”

“The real question is: why would he leave without our Marlene?” added Horace, red and confused, failing to notice his lack of delicacy was just pouring salt on his daughter’s very fresh, still-gaping wound. “He wants to marry her!”

Minerva, seated at the other end of the table from her husband but closest to their eldest had noticed Marlene pale even more and was prompt to reprimand him. “Now, now, Mr Evans. We do not know that.”

“Does he explain why?” Remus cut in softly, placing his larger hand on Marlene’s.

She straightened her back and stared at some point on the wall facing her as she replied matter-of-factly. “The town is not to his taste, that is all. The house is too big, expensive and cold for such a small party. His sisters missed London and Potter missed his own home and sister. Black has gone with him to Gryffindor.” 

At the mention of her personal Nemesis, Lily felt the now familiar feeling of dread she had come to associate to his person, and sensed the letter was concealing some consequent truths.

“The bastard.” Mr Evans eloquently put in words what the red-haired thought, though she was pretty sure their respective angers weren’t directed towards the same man.

“Father, there’s no need to use such words.” Marlene’s voice was firm as she interrupted and darted blue eyes, cold as ice, towards the man who has just spoken. This, to Lily, spoke more of Marlene’s true feelings than any lies she would afterwards give in order to appease her relatives’concern about her state of mind. Black had all but left her and here she was, taking his side even when he was in the wrong and she was hurt as a result. From the other side of the table where she sat in front of her dearest sister, who she could tell was struggling to manage to put on a brave face, Lily felt for her a strange mixture of respect and pity both. “Mr Black has done nothing wrong. He had nothing retaining him here, after all, and he’s free to go as he pleases in the absence of other engagements.” If Lily had known Marlene any less, she would not have noticed the way her voice choked at the last word or the faint way her blue orbs seemed to shine brighter than usual.

The sound of animated conversation very suddenly rose again, but Marlene was not sitting through that. She rose, tall and straight and regal as a queen, burst, freezing her relatives on the spot: “For the love of God, I don’t want to hear anything about it ever again! For once in your life, just leave me all alone!”

With that, she raced up to the stairs in a graceful way only her could muster at such a time, and the rest of the family ate in silence and avoided the first floor for the rest of the day until she willingly came back to them, for her sake and their own; an angry Marlene was a dangerous one to cross furthermore. Yet Lily was as stubborn as her eldest if not more, and she was well-decided to break the uncomfortable silence as they prepared for bed that night.

“Marlene…”

“Not you too, Lily,” she snapped back, knowing full well what to expect.

“Talk to me,” Lily replied, not one to back down. “You are right to be angry, Marlene.”

“But I spoke true, though.” Marlene’s voice seemed suddenly weary as she landed heavily on the pillows and fixed the ceiling of their room. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. Hasn’t promised any word he didn’t keep, or hasn’t taken anything I didn’t freely give.”

“Marlene…”

“It was my fault, Lily. Mine and only mine. He never spoke of marriage and I never did anything to change that. He flirted and I was happy to flirt back! There was nothing there suggesting some deeper attachment, not from him, not from me. I’ll be all right.”

Lily, who had in boldness what she lacked in patience, decided to take matters in her own hands. She grabbed a pillow from under the blonde’s head and hit her right in the face with it, oddly furious at seeing her strong sister, the role model of her young years, back down without a fight. “He loved you, Marlene, do not doubt that!”

The other girl was quick to react, and the hit she gave back twice as violent as one she had received. “Even if he did, it was a pitiful sort of love if it was not enough to make him stay!” Now Lily could see it plainly, the anger that she probably tried to hide all day long. It was written on her frowned features, the furious glint in her eyes, the way her chest rose and fell with every violent intake of breath. “Don’t you see it’s worst that way? If he loves me as I love him and he _still_ chose to leave?!” The arm that has been holding the offending pillow above their heads, ready to strike again, fell down weakly against her side. “Don’t, Lily. Don’t. You don’t know him. Don’t say a word against him. Don’t you dare speak of love to me. You don’t know anything about love,” she breathed, more calmly but still panting, marking a pause with each word she spat at Lily’s face like venom, eyes sparling with anger and unshed tears.

Before the youngest girl could react, the candles were blown and the room was dark, as Marlene’s words still resonated in the silence. Now, it was far from their first sisterly fight, and Lily had willingly pushed Marlene’s buttons to get her to talk expecting this sort of outcome, but somehow the words, even though very true, stung as no others ever had.

* * *

The fuss brought by the arrival of the newcomers in the neighbourhood, a few months earlier, died down as quickly as it has risen. November came, and the whole town of Godric’s Hollow settled down into its usual, apathetic routine but nothing was the same.

Mr Evans saw the recent twists of events as yet another failure to secure husbands for his large herd of daughters, and was getting quite desperate at the prospect of ending his life surrounded by old spinsters in lieu of dreamed grandchildren and outrageously rich sons-in-law. Now, any worthy parent would observe their progeny’s misadventures in matters of the heart with the same loving concern as he; his fault resided in his way of expressing such concern. He set himself on a crusade to have them all married by the end of the next year; and every day brought his new share of lectures about a wife duty, or how their reprehensible behaviours had prevented them from receiving any serious offer or, even worse –and his glare was directly directed at his two eldest girls when he inevitably reached that part- what ungrateful, stupid and selfish shrews they had been for refusing perfectly respectable suitors.

It was on such bases that Marlene, after one week of moping around, was all but sent to London for the winter. Officially, it was so the fuss of town at such a busy season would give her something else to think of than her broken heart. Officiously, they were aware Horace hoped she would not fail to run into Black and awake his feelings again while residing in the Capital; or, at least, to find some other suitable beau under the zealous patronage of his sister, Aunt Trelawney, a young,soft if not slightly crazy widow none of the children were too fond of. Lily thought sending Marlene to live with her for a month was a cruel way to soothe her recent heartbreak.

Apparently on a whim to get rid of his youngests while the oldest was given whatever time was deemed necessary to mend her broken heart before returning, more eligible than ever, Horace subjected the three remaining girls to what can only be called harassment. Alice was sent over to the Longbottoms’ every other day with the most pitiful pretexts each time –not that she, or the boy the visits were intended for, complained at all- and Lily and Mary were all but dragged around town and forced to sit through countless impromptu tea parties, even though all the boys they encountered on those occasions were boys they had grown up with. He even went as far as forcefully sending Remus to take a vacation away from home, to their Uncle Dumbledore’s current residence, as to clear the house and give himself more time to focus on the desperate cases that were his daughters’ matrimonial prospects. A son, after all, was not as hard to marry off as a girl, especially one like Remus who was not only heir to the Evans estate but also to all of their Mother’s brother’s money and earthly possessions, seeing as Uncle Dumbledore remained a convinced bachelor even after something like sixty or seventy years of existence. Remus would still be a good prospect and able to father good children in twenty years, whereas his sisters had only a couple years left before their beauty and attractiveness definitely faded and they’d be condemned to spinsterhood. Anyway, understanding that the whole Black debacle had had a toll on their Father’s sanity and that he wasn’t to be crossed at such a sensible time, but also sensing that his agitation and unpleasant manners were really a show of his true concern and deep worry for his dear daughters’ futures, the Evans children embraced his requirements with good grace.

For Lily, it was a blessing in disguise, for more time forced to meet up with bachelors of the town meant she was more encouraged than ever to spend time with Severus. Horace had, for some reason, taken a liking to Severus early on, sharing with the apothecary’s son a deep interest in the power of plants and medicine. Sure, he had no shame exclaiming for the rest of the Evans to hear that the boy was probably the least good-looking man of the town and did not deserve his precious Lily in any way, but he had a good situation that would keep her safe and was, after all, the only man in the county that ever stood a conversation with the short-tempered read-head and has not been rebutted or pushed away. Mr Evans had all but not so secretly dreamed in secret that the reason Lily had been pushing suitors away all those years was only her earnest waiting for her real beloved to make his intentions known. Lily had always been very much embarrassed by that, but was now secretly grateful that her Father’s inclination allowed her to leave Mary to the mandatory match-making tea parties in order to slip away to meet her friend. A male friend was really a great excuse, Lily mused on such an afternoon, helping him sort through dried lavender flowers. Even though she was fairly convinced none of them would see in the other more than a brotherly or sisterly figure, she very nearly joked that they should fake an engagement for a time, just so Horace would get off her back and she’d find her freedom back. But she thought that, with Father’s eagerness to see her settled, they’d actually be tied before the altar before they had the time to blink and the prank would take a sour turn. Anyway, Horace seemed to think that Severus not having proposed already was a sign that Lily should not completely be exempted from seeing other gentlemen, and so she still had to put on her best clothes and visit their neighbours from time to time.

Lily had no idea why Horace would think that, after almost 20 years of acquaintance, those men could suddenly take an interest in her and she remarked as much at dinner, one day her Father’s match-making attempts had been particularly embarrassing for all involved. She exclaimed quite loudly and with coloured words that if he indeed desired to see her married he would do better to introduce her to strangers rather than try to force her again and again on the poor same souls she had already scared away years ago. .

It seemed her opinion made sense for she was sent to join Remus at Uncle Albus’ the very next day, and tried very hard not to take it as a punishment of some sort. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how long it took me to write this where little action yet happens, and I'm sorry to those of you who have been waiting for the update. I just got a new job and more exams, and real life is pretty hectic at the moment, but everything should be going more smoothly from now on, so I'll try to update within the next week. Thanks so much for reading, and don't hesitate to leave a comment, especially to tell me what you think could be better, what you think of the characters or what you'd like to see in the next chapters (different sides of some characters, or some relationships?) before, you know, I've finished writing them and won't bother editing. Thank you, see you soon for chapter 6! :)


	6. A serious infatuation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remadora is on.

“Can I come?” asked Mary for the 29th time this morning, tirelessly jumping on the bed Lily had just fixed, making the sheets a mess again.

“No,” replied Lily for the 29th time this morning, while forcing yet another evening dress in her travelling chest which already contained way too much dresses, according to Mother. But, Lily reasoned, she had no way to know how long she’d be in, as she liked to call it, her forced exile.

Peeking up as many clothes of different style and function was a requirement, after all, for she had no idea what to expect from a visit to Uncle Dumbledore. Mother’s elder and only brother, Albus Dumbledore has always been the wild card of the family but a favourite amongst his nieces and nephew; something that comforted Lily into thinking that, no matter how wild her own life could get, she would still be welcome to the family Christmas parties, at the very least. An old but still vivacious man with a long white beard and hair that made him look like he’s just hopped from some old, forgotten fantasy tale, he remained happily unmarried. His celibacy and lack of attachments allowed him to travel whenever the fancy took him (and fancy often did take him) or change location every two months. Right now, he was currently renting an old castle in the small county of Hufflepuff, allegedly there for a time to study its folklore. He was fantasist like that, an intellectual whose expertise covered diverse fields such as history, science, literature, arts, mathematics, politics, laws and popular folklore, but he never chose to specialise in one of them, as far as Lily knew. She knew that the money had been scarce when Mother was a child and he a young adult and her sole tutor after the death of their parents , but his fortune has risen considerably since that time, and that was only due to his self-made fame. Famous he was, across England, but not necessarily well-liked. He has made himself known at the age of thirty or so thanks to his famous series of pamphlets denouncing the corruption behind Gellert Grindewald’s government, so much that it has reached the ears of the previous King and successfully led Grindewald and his peers to be convicted and put in jail. Ever since, Dumbledore has remained a very trusted advisor to His Majesty and after that of his son, the present monarch, but was known as a vigorous opponent to the Conservative Party. His radical and eloquent positions on many topics such as corruption, foreign policies, immigration and integration, social gaps or the place and freedom of women in society had made him an enemy to most noble men, but well-liked amongst the people. A hero and a spokesperson for those who aren’t usually heard; and a marked man, for the over-privileged men of the country, fearing for their hegemony. Yet, Dumbledore has never really been interested in running for Parliament himself, seemingly content to wreak havoc wherever he went, never departing his calm demeanour and mischievous smile. In that regard, he was a model to Lily, who aspired to someday be able to create that much chaos and keep her cool.

In the meantime, using his name and her connection to him could either open or close doors in her face, depending on where and with whom you used it. Lily had only respect for the man’s intellect, stubbornness and modernism when it came to politics, but slightly feared spending the next fortnight or more sharing his living quarters. He had a particular sense of humour and was unpredictable, and one never knew what will happen next with him. Hence, the numerous different sorts of clothes she chose to take with her, for anything from fancy masquerades to hikes in the woods could be on the table with him. Anyway, she did not know the region of Hufflepuff and was eager to go on her own little adventures, away from Horace’s madness and close to Remus, whose most recent letters had been disappointing and lacking in details. She was thrilled to join him, especially since Mother had went to London to promote her new book, and with her the last shreds of sanity in the house.

“Can I come?” asked Mary for the 30th time this morning.

“No. Why are you barefoot?”

“I’m making a mold of my foot for Diggory, to remind him I have nice feet.”

“You think he’ll marry you for your feet?”

Mary shrugged, sliding to the floor to lie next to Lily’s truck. “He’ll marry me for my spirits and beauty. He’ll love me for my feet.”

“Gross. And you’re so eager to leave him, even if you love him so?” Lily asked, snatching her favourite bonnet from the younger one’s hands.

“Our love shall overcome any hardships. And Uncle Dumbledore is always such fun.”

“Have you even talked to the poor boy at all, Mimi?” Lily sighed, finally closing her trunk for good.

“We talk plenty. We have no secrets for each other.” Mary replied carelessly, now rumbling through Marlene’s forgotten jewels, and Lily who could not tell whether she was joking or not decided to let it go. At long last, she moved to bring the chest outside to the awaiting coach. “Can I come?”

“No.”

“You are mean.”

“I will not miss you.”

* * *

The road to Hufflepuff was a long and boring one, but finally Lily reached the old house where Uncle Dumbledore has taken residence for the winter and descended the coach right into Remus’ open arms.

“I’m glad you’ve come,” Remus confided as soon as she had unpacked, sitting down on her bed. Dumbledore, who had not been aware of his niece’s visit but was hardly ever taken by surprise, has welcomed her warmly and was prompt to have a room made for her. “I’ve been wanting your opinion on… a peculiar matter, but I couldn’t figure out to put it in words. It will be easier this way.”

“What is it about?”

“Tonight,” he waved, trying to appear nonchalant and failing. “We’ll speak tonight.” Lily had no time to investigate further for then Dumbledore was asking them to get ready for dinner from downstairs, and Lily was glad she’d brought enough evening dresses. Soon after, they were driving to dine with Dumbledore’s closest neighbour, at Umbridge palace, whose resident was then described in colourful words by the two men.

“The worst woman you’ve ever met, Lily-flower, I swear.”

“Worst than Skeeter?” She asked, sceptical.

“A hundred times worst,” Remus replied, putting on a show of severity. “But stupid. It is like she has received the capacity of talking but lacks the one of thinking before. Uncle Dumbledore thinks it is very funny, though. He spends his evenings complimenting her so gallantly she never realises he’s insulting her. You should marry her, Uncle. You’d never lack a source of amusement for the rest of your days.”

“The amusement is not worth the shame of being associated to such a monstrous lady, I’m afraid.”

“She thinks she's clever, though. And she's so mean, as well! And racist. You have no idea how much she hates the rest of the world.”

“But,” Lily asked, confused. “If she is so disagreeable, then why do you spend so much time with her? And why are we going there tonight?”

“Oh, we would not have gone more than the first time, if it were not for young Remus, who has taken a liking to her niece.” Dumbledore cut in.

Lily’s head snapped back to her brother, so fast her neck slightly hurt. His cheeks were as red as the velvet cushions in the carriage. “Her niece?”

“It’s nothing like that! She is pleasant company, and there is so little to do around here, after all.”

“That’s why the young gentleman had insisted on paying our respects every day for the last three weeks.”

“Well, I feel sorry for her!” Remus argued back, as vehement as if he were on trial. “She is stuck with her horrible aunt for sole company!”

“How heroic of you.” Lily snickered, with a curious pang of jealousy. She had never seen her brother so embarrassed by the mere mention of a girl before.

“Oh come on, Lily. She’s only a child.”

“She seems to fill every criterion to being a woman, and fill them quite well, if I correctly recall you saying so just a few days ago.” Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly before focusing on the road, and Lily was once again admiring of the poise with which he would wreak havoc then quietly retreat.

“She is of Mary’s age!”

“And Mary acts very much like a woman.”

“Oh, God, let it go you two,” Remus groaned, letting his head fall on the bench seat while his relatives laughed at him.

“What is her name, then?” Lily asked, putting a comforting hand on her brother’s knee.

“Miss Tonks.” Remus conceded. The name rang a bell, but Lily couldn’t tell where she heard it before.

“Just Tonks?”

He shrugged. “She would not tell me her first name.”

“How strange.”

Dumbledore smiled. “She is a strange girl.”

“Come on, Uncle,” Remus chastised, lightness in his tone again. “No one is stranger than you.”

“Well,” Lily interrupted the banter with what sounded quite like a threat to her brother. “If we must suffer the Umbridge woman for a whole dinner, I sure hope Miss Tonks is the most stunningly beautiful woman ever.”

She wasn’t. But she exceeded all of Lily’s expectations by far.

* * *

The first thing Lily ever noticed about Miss Tonks was a talent for making a remarkable entrance. 

First, upon their arrival to the impressive house which deserved its nickname of Palace, they were welcome into the Music Room to meet with their hostess, the Lady Umbridge. The House was huge, indeed, but for all of its grandiloquence, Lily thought it lacked taste. Its exuberance was overwhelming, in truth, but the exterior of the house and the Entrance Hall were nothing compared to the horror of the Music Room, which was apparently the favourite of the Mistress. Everywhere Lily laid her eyes, every single inch of furniture, art piece or clothing was covered in the most disgusting shade of pink she has ever seen. Lily was so taken aback by the crazy vision that it took her a minute to notice the Lady of the House had risen to greet them; the fact that the woman herself was dressed in large puffy gowns of the same colour was not helping. 

Lily hated Lady Umbridge immediately, just as much as her Uncle and brother have warned her she would.

She was a short, middle-aged woman whose flabby face reminded Lily of a large, pale toad. Her first words, delivered in a simpering voice, were something like insults passed as greetings. First, she seemed to regret they had brought Lily without a warning; and then, as she commended the younger woman and praised her looks, she somehow managed to squeeze in how unflattering was her dress and what a truly horrible shade of red her hair was, all in the same sentence. Lily shuddered as she bowed, and felt Remus’ form besides her shake with laughter, probably at her reaction he had anticipated. She wondered how on earth could her Uncle seriously expect her to remain polite for the whole evening. 

But then, all of a sudden, the huge door on Lily’s back was vigorously pushed open, sending the unsuspecting girl on her knees. Before she could realise what the hell had just happened, she was joined on the floor by another person whose unfortunate feet a few steps earlier were responsible for the whole accident. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw a slightly shorter, younger girl lay full length on the ground,. In the blink of an eye, Remus was on a knee, quickly reaching out a hand and… helping the newcomer to her feet, choosing to leave his own sister on the ground. Asshole.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Those damn rugs, I just… I’m so sorry, Are you allright?” The other girl, bless her, was prompt to help Lily up. “Oh, you must be Remus’ sister!” She exclaimed, probably taking in her red hair. “I’ve heard so much about you!” Before she could reply, Lily felt herself being engulfed in a hug. Shocked by the uncommon familiarity, she mouthed a mocking “Remus, uh?” over Miss Tonks’ shoulder to her brother who had the grace to look ashamed.

“Girls, what a dreadful behaviour!” Umbridge scolded, distressed that the focus has shifted from her, before leading them to the dining room and grudgingly ordering for a plate to be added for Lily by her niece’s side. 

By the end of the first course, the girls had made the tacit vow to be friends forever and Lily even coaxed her into revealing her first name. 

“It’s Nymphadora, but you are absolutely forbidden from mentioning it ever again. I hate it.”

Lily couldn’t stop laughing after that. Despite Umbridge’s constant rumbling, it was the best evening she had spent in a long time. As the dinner progressed, she could understand well what Remus liked in her. She was the sort of person whose warmth grew on you. She certainly was not the most stunningly beautiful woman ever, but her smile was so open and constant that Lily thought it rendered her whole expression delightful, and that she could look at such a pleasant face all evening long. Everything in the young girl was worthy of affection, from the twinkle in her dark eyes to the mousy brown hair that didn’t quite reach her chin and floated freely around a heart-shaped face, being too short to be tied back.

“I’ve never seen a woman wear her hair so short,” Lily curiously noted as an aside thirty minutes into the meal, quite confident by now that the younger girl would not mind the comment.

“Oh, I’d like to wear it longer, but I burned it last spring.” 

Lily coughed, almost choking on a sip of wine. Of all the answers she had been expecting… “You burned you hair?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Miss Tonks replied, slightly embarrassed. “I wanted to blow the candles on a birthday cake, and a lock caught fire. We had to cut it all down to even it.” 

Lily was laughing so hard now she was crying, and Umbridge sent a disgusted look her way. “Yes, celebrating one’s birthday can be quite dangerous.”

Miss Tonks was laughing as well, now. “It wasn’t even mine! It was my brother’s birthday. He has forbidden candles on cakes for forever since this accident.”

“Quite the drastic measure for your safety. You must be very dear to him.” Lily jokingly replied, discreetly drying her last tears with her handkerchief.

“Oh, but your brother told me you’ve met him!”

“I’m afraid I don’t recall a Tonks.”

“Oh no,” Miss Tonks waved, accidently knocking her own glass aside. “There’s no other Tonks. He’s my adoptive brother, James Potter?”

This time, Lily really choked on her food. 

* * *

That night, a new session of the Evans Council was held, even though in smaller corps.

Huddled closed together on her bed with Remus, Lily had been relentlessly inquiring ever since they get back. She had not been too caught up in her own newly-founded friendship that she had completely missed the longing looks send both ways between her brother and Miss Tonks. It was the very first time Lily saw her brother have any serious romantic inclination towards anyone, and she was shocked and intrigued.

“Remus, be honest. What is going on between you two? What are your intentions towards her?”

“I have none!” he cried, and protested a little, but Lily knowing him so well could pinpoint the exact moment he decided to drop the act and say what he meant. “It’s just… It’s nothing like that, really. We know very little of each other, there’s nothing going between us. It’s just that… I’m thinking that, maybe, someday, there could be something, you know? Like… of course I don’t know her, I cannot ever say we are friends yet, but when I am with her I feel like, if I let myself, I could easily.. you know.”

“I think I do.” She replied, overwhelmed by the vulnerability in his voice, and scooted closer, wrapping him in her blanket. “Tell me.”

“I don’t know. At first, I was amused. She has a good humour, and a good nature that reminded me a lot of Mary, except Miss Tonks, thankfully, lacks our sister’s over-confidence and brashness. But she is so clumsy… I mean, you’ve seen it. It’s both terrifying and fascinating to witness. For a girl raised amongst the highest nobility, she seemed so… simple. Sincere. I was intrigued. At first, I really went to visit out of boredom, and because she was amusing, but then, I don’t know. One day, we took a walk and we get to talk. Really talk, you know? And… She is brilliant. Dead clever. And so funny. And she looks at everything with such a refreshing perspective, like she can only see the good in everyone and every situation. If you listen to her, you’d believe that anything is possible. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. When I’m with her, I feel like everything is possible.”

“And that’s what you wanted to talk to me about?” Lily asked, softly, once she was sure he was finished.

“Yes. I mean, no. There’s nothing to talk about, really. I just thought you’d like her.”

“I do. Very much. But…”

They shared a grimace and moaned in perfect unison. “James Potter’s sister.”

“Seriously, Remus, you could have told me. I would have prepared a lie or two. I had a hard time pretending the brother she obviously thought so highly of was not a complete ass.”

“To be fair to Miss Tonks, you would also stand up for me even if I behaved like an ass.”

“… Probably.”

“Well, to bed, now.” He waited for her to be comfortably settled, then leaned down for a kiss on her forehead. Lily sighed with ease and closed her eyes, happy to be reunited with her brother at last. “Oh, one more thing: Potter is coming here next week. Good night!”

Lily had good reflexes, but he was too quick to close the door for the pillow she threw to reach its aim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I made Tonks the Georgiana to James’ Darcy, and I love it. Just because I think that, if James had lived, he would have absolutely LOVED Tonks and the fact that Remus ended up with a younger punk pink-haired badass wife. Like, I have this headcanon of Potter-Lupin families weekly gatherings where Lily, Remus and Harry are drinking tea and pretending to have a nice time and maintain a serious conversation while James, Tonks and Teddy are in the next room probably plotting to set the house on fire or something.
> 
> Also there's a shameless direct reference to Little Women 2019 here, kuddos to whoever gets it.


End file.
